IC tags, which include an IC chip for performing contactless communication with a nearby reader/writer to perform a process such as authentication or the like, have been widespread. In particular, so-called passive IC tags, which do not have a power supply such as a battery or the like and is activated by power that is accumulated and stored in a capacitor or the like by receiving radio waves from a reader/writer, have been widespread because of their good usability.
An IC tag is constructed by mounting parts such as an IC chip for performing a communication process and the like on a circuit board on which an antenna pattern for receiving radio waves from a reader/writer is formed. The antenna pattern is in the shape of a coil and has a relatively large area on the circuit board in order to efficiently receive radio waves from a reader/writer. Typically, parts such as an IC chip, a capacitor, and the like are provided in a center portion surrounded by the coil-shaped antenna pattern. When an authentication process is performed using an IC tag, the IC tag performs a communication process on its own, e.g., information stored in a memory included in the IC chip is transmitted to a reader/writer, and information transmitted from the reader/writer is written to the memory of the IC chip.
As described above, IC tags can wirelessly communicate with a reader/writer on their own. For example, card-shaped objects including a circuit board implemented as an IC tag are widely used as electronic money cards, tickets, authentication cards, and the like. Also, various electronic devices such as mobile telephone terminals and the like which include an IC tag are similarly widely used.
A plurality of standards for IC chips that perform contactless communication are provided for different applications and the like. A technique has been proposed that equips a single device with a plurality of IC chips for performing contactless communication according to different standards and thereby allows the single device to perform contactless communication using a plurality of communication schemes (see, for example, Patent Literature 1 and the like).